About

David Trudel is an iconoclastic freethinker who enjoys a variety of literary forms for creative self-expression. He has also been known to comment on social and political issues of the day, from a politically non-aligned perspective. David lives in Victoria, Canada.

1) The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien. Forget the over the top movies, the original trilogy is a great work of mythic storytelling that inspired countless imitations. I read it many times as a youth.
2) 100 Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The original magic realism novel – mandatory reading if you want to understand latin america.
3) Rebel Angels, Robertson Davies. One of the great Canadian writers of the 20th century, he loves language and is a delight to read. This is the first in a trilogy, along with The Lyre of Orpheus and the third one which I can’t recall.
4) The House of Niccolo (series), Dorothy Dunnett. Rousing historical fiction set in15th century Europe. Delicious swashbuckling escapism.
5) Jean-Christophe, Romain Rolland. This is an obscure novel that was written a few years before the first world war and provides a fascinating glimpse into “fin de siecle” thinking.
Runners up:
6) Outlander (series), Diana Gabaldon. A time travelling 20th century nurse hooks up with a Scots warrior fresh from the Battle of Culloden and then they sail to the new world and get caught up in the Revolutionary War. And they have great sex!
7) Ulysses, James Joyce. Maddening at times and a challenge to read but worth the mental workout.
8) The First Man of Rome, Colleen McCullough. Another series set in ancient Rome. More fun than a lot of history courses I sat through.
9) Scoop, P.G. Wodehouse. This one highlights the foibles of journalism and media manipulation. All of his novels are hilarious and insightful.
10) A Guide to the Good Life; The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy, William B. Irvine. A reinterpretation of Stoic philosophy for the modern world. This saved my life and has become my touchstone.

Maybe not that ordinary. I find you down to earth and multifaceted. I’m jealous because I love the song Suicide is Painless in the MASH the movie, with the lyrics. The movie is awesome and one of my all time favorites. My husband is a screenwriter and I’ve met a few actors. In my opinion, writers and acts are cut from the same clothe. In the end, we’re all just people trying to make our mark before we die.